Muslim scholar rape trial to begin March 12
MUSLIM scholar, Nezaam Ali is expected to go on trial before Justice Navindra Singh on March 12, 2019 at the High Court for the offence of rape.
Ali, also known as ‘Mufti’, an imaam of Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was committed to stand trial in the High Court on nine counts of engaging in sexual activity with boys under the age of 12, back in 2012.
The charges alleged that between December 2011 and January 2012, Ali, being a teacher attached to the Turkeyen Masjid, engaged in sexual activity with the children. He was placed on a total of $1.3M bail at the time.
The acts were allegedly committed while Ali was in a position of trust, being a religious teacher, and knew or could be reasonably expected to have known of the trust in relation to the boys. The boys had been attending Arabic and Koran classes at the time.
The defendant is represented by Attorney-at-law Stanley Moore and Latchmi Rahamat. The state is represented by prosecutor Abigail Gibbs.